North London community activist Verral Paul-Walcott is converting 37 garages into free storage spaces for people fleeing domestic abuse, aiming to remove the financial burden of finding somewhere to keep their belongings.

The independent initiative will support 37 families in rotation, with the wider community helping bring the project to life.

Verral, who is known for his grassroots community work across North London, shared the news in a video on social media, explaining that the project is one of the biggest steps he has taken in recent years.

The initiative will see 37 garages transformed into storage facilities where survivors of domestic violence can safely keep their possessions after leaving an abusive environment, without having to worry about paying storage fees.

Explaining the reasoning behind the project, Verral highlighted how difficult it can be for someone escaping an abusive relationship to find somewhere to keep their belongings, particularly when they are already facing the financial and emotional challenges of starting again.

Verral also explained that some survivors can be left paying almost £800 a month to store their possessions after leaving their abusers, a cost he believes should not be another burden placed on people trying to rebuild their lives.

Speaking about the project, he said:

"I've taken over 37 garages and I'm converting them into a domestic violence storage space for people who are surviving domestic violence to be able to come and store their stuff for free."

"One of their biggest challenges when they leave their abuser is that they have to spend nearly £800 a month on storage fees. That is not happening on my watch."

Verral also spoke on how the facilities will operate on a rotating basis, allowing 37 families to benefit from the free storage spaces rather than having to find the money to rent commercial storage themselves.

"So there'll be 37 families in rotation that will be able to come and store their stuff for free."

The project is being organised independently by Verral, who made it clear that he wants the initiative to be community-led rather than dependent on a complicated application process or external organisations.

"Now one disclosure, I am solely independent and this is going to be a project run by myself and the community because it is for the community with no red tape."

Although the garages have been secured, Verral expressed that there is still work to be done before they can be fully transformed into suitable storage facilities. He has therefore appealed to members of the public to contribute towards the equipment and cleaning supplies needed to prepare the spaces.

Among the items requested are dust masks, overalls, brooms, dusters and air fresheners, which will help with the process of getting the garages ready for use.

He has created an Amazon wishlist so supporters can purchase items directly towards the project, encouraging those who are able to contribute to get involved.

Ending his video, Verral thanked the community for its continued support, adding:

"Love and respect always and let's keep pushing."

The initiative has already attracted positive attention, with many people praising the activist for identifying a problem that can often be overlooked when discussing the difficulties survivors face when leaving abusive relationships.

Verral is a North London grassroots community activist, digital creator and founder of C86erz, a community movement focused on supporting vulnerable people through practical help and local initiatives.

Born and raised in Tottenham, he has spent several years organising projects aimed at supporting people experiencing homelessness, poverty and social isolation, often relying on volunteers, donations and the involvement of local residents.

His community work first gained wider attention through his cycling initiative, which brought together people willing to distribute food, clothing and essential supplies to those sleeping rough.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Verral launched the Homeless Ride Out, bringing together cyclists to deliver necessities to people experiencing homelessness across London. The first outing reportedly involved 38 riders and provided food to 150 people in just eight hours, demonstrating how quickly the initiative could bring people together to support those in need.

The movement later developed into C86erz, which has continued to organise outreach activities and distribute essential supplies to vulnerable people.

Another of his notable initiatives is the Tab System, which allows members of the public to pay money towards meals at participating restaurants so that people who cannot afford food can order something warm when they need it. Rather than relying solely on traditional food bank support, the scheme gives people the opportunity to access meals through participating businesses, helping reduce some of the stigma associated with seeking assistance.

Verral has also organised initiatives to help struggling families access school uniforms, clothing and other necessities, while using his social media platforms to connect people who need support with those willing to provide it. His efforts have received recognition over the years, including a Heart of the Hale Award for his contribution to the local community.

In 2022, he also received a BBC Radio London Make a Difference Award, where he was highly commended in the Volunteer Award category.

His work has additionally attracted support from organisations such as the Resapol Foundation, which awarded him £1,000 in 2022 to help develop his community work and improve the resources available to his team.

The latest storage project represents another extension of his work, with Verral now turning his attention towards a specific challenge faced by people escaping domestic abuse.

Leaving an abusive relationship can involve much more than finding somewhere else to live. For many survivors, leaving quickly is necessary for their safety, meaning they may have little opportunity to collect their belongings, arrange transport or make plans for where their possessions will go.

This can leave people having to make difficult decisions about what they can take with them, particularly if they are escaping with children or have limited financial resources.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), research into the experiences of women who have survived domestic abuse and accessed temporary safe accommodation found that some were moved within a day, leaving them with very little time to prepare.

The research highlighted how survivors often had to prioritise essential items that they needed immediately, leaving behind valuable and sentimental possessions. It also found that moving belongings belonging to children, as well as their own possessions, could make the process particularly challenging.

The ONS research demonstrates why having somewhere secure to keep belongings can be important during the transition into safer accommodation, particularly when survivors are unable to take everything with them immediately.

Women's Aid also explains that most refuges have limited storage space, meaning survivors are unlikely to be able to bring larger possessions, such as furniture, with them. This can create another difficulty for people who have had to leave their homes suddenly, especially those who have spent years building a household and may have children whose belongings also need to be considered.

Verral's proposed storage facilities aim to address part of this problem by giving survivors somewhere to keep their possessions while they work towards rebuilding their lives. Rather than having to pay for private storage or potentially lose items they cannot take into temporary accommodation, the project is intended to provide an alternative at no cost.

The project comes against the backdrop of the continued scale of domestic abuse across England and Wales.

According to the latest Office for National Statistics figures, covering the year ending March 2025, an estimated 3.8 million people aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse during the year. This represented 7.8% of the population aged 16 and over, while approximately 12.5 million people, equivalent to 25.8%, had experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16.

The figures also estimated that 2.2 million women and 1.5 million men experienced domestic abuse during the year.

Police recorded 1,350,460 domestic abuse-related incidents and crimes during the same period, including 816,493 offences recorded as domestic abuse-related crimes.

While these statistics do not specifically measure how many survivors need storage facilities or lose possessions when leaving abusive households, the ONS research into temporary accommodation provides further evidence of the practical difficulties people can encounter when they need to leave quickly.

For survivors, having to rebuild a home while dealing with the aftermath of abuse can be an overwhelming experience, particularly when replacing furniture, clothing and essential household items comes with additional costs.

This is where community-led projects such as Verral's could make a difference, by helping remove one practical obstacle during an already difficult period.

Following the announcement, many people took to the comments to praise Verral for using his platform and resources to support people who may otherwise struggle to access the help they need.

One person applauded his continued efforts, writing:

"He is doing excellent work for the community and beyond, going above expectations. God bless him."

Another wrote:

"This is so good! Many victims lose everything after escaping!"

A third person questioned why more support of this kind had not already been made available, writing:

"Something the government should have taken seriously time ago.. big you up brother! You’re doing the lords work!"

While conversations around domestic abuse often focus on helping survivors leave dangerous environments and access safe accommodation, the process of rebuilding afterwards can bring its own challenges. For someone leaving an abusive household, being able to keep their belongings safe could mean not having to start completely from scratch when they eventually find somewhere permanent to live.

Having already spent years bringing his community together to support people facing homelessness and financial hardship, Verral is now applying that same approach to domestic abuse survivors.

And with the wider community being invited to help get the spaces ready, the project is another reminder of what can happen when people recognise a need and decide to do something about it.

Those who would like to support Verral’s work and help the initiative continue can donate through his GoFundMe page here.